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Jump Start # 2494

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2494

1 Peter 2:6 “For this is contained in Scripture: Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.”

  Disappointments are a part of life, but they are never any fun when they come our way. Early in life, we face disappointments. We wanted to stay up and our parents told us to go to bed. We wanted to eat chocolate for dinner and our parents made us eat veggies. We watched as people we went to school with made varsity and we didn’t. We saw some make the school play and we didn’t. The person we really liked in school was dating someone else. Then, we didn’t get the classes we wanted in college. We didn’t get the job we wanted.

  And, here in the week of Christmas, some will be disappointed. There was one special gift that they wanted and they didn’t get that gift. Disappointed. For some, it seems that disappointments have followed them most of their lives. And, those mounting disappointments have left them miserable and feeling that they are not as good as others. This has wrecked their self esteem, killed their ego and made them believe that they won’t ever be in Heaven, because they are not as good as others. Their self worth just isn’t worth very much these days. Like ole’ Eeyore, the loveable donkey in Winnie the Pooh, head hung down, talking negatively about himself, not feeling like he ought to be included, is exactly the way that the disappointed feel about themselves.

  When one has a spiritual heart, sin will make you feel disappointed. It ought to. It should. You have broken the heart of God. You have chosen wrong. And, the more one sins, the more he feels disappointed. Lower and lower he sinks until he finally believes that it’s impossible for him to be saved.

  Disappointments sink. That’s just the truth of the matter. Some disappointments are shallow and we forget about them very quickly. Others, have a way of being filed deeply within our memory and no matter what we do, they are there. Our upbringing has much to do with this as well. Some parents tell their kids, “You disappoint me.” That stings and that has a way of making it back to the files in our memory. That can lead to someone believing that he cannot accomplish anything worthwhile in life. Loser becomes his title and he believes that.

  Our verse today is about Jesus. It’s a quotation from Isaiah. It’s found two other times in Romans. He who believes in Him will not be disappointed. Why? Because Jesus delivers. Jesus saves. Jesus does what no one else does. He doesn’t give up on us. He takes us at our worst and still believes in us. He molds us, shapes us, forgives us and puts us right in the forefront of kingdom work.

  Now, there is a since in which some might be disappointed in Jesus. They get that way when they want Jesus to close the Bible and allow them to wallow in sin and stay there. Those who want to marry anyone and everyone and anything and everything, would be disappointed in what Jesus said about marriage. Marriage isn’t for everyone. Some not knowing that, have ruined relationships and hurt others.

  Those that want to party with the pagans, dance to the moon, worship themselves, and have no restrictions, no commandments, nothing off limits will be greatly disappointed in Jesus. That’s not Jesus. That’s not what He is about. Jesus isn’t Burger King, where you can “Have it your own way.” Not with Jesus. It’s His way or no way.

  But for those who bow their hearts to Jesus, what a wonderful, wonderful life they find. He called this the abundant life. Here we find a whole worldwide family of believers that love us, accept us and are like us. We find joy and peace. We find hearts that are calm and restful. We find worship that is God centered, God pleasing and heartfelt. We find a work to do that is the greatest in all the world, the work of the kingdom. We find people who genuinely care about us and are willing to sit with us, talk with us and pray with us. We find a home awaiting us in Heaven. We find purpose and direction in life. We find understanding and truth which becomes the foundation upon which we stand.

  Those that believe will not be disappointed. Through the years, I’ve met folks who got upset with preachers, mad at elders, had their feelings hurt by brethren. But I’ve never met anyone who claimed that Jesus mistreated him. Never met anyone on the way out who blamed Jesus. There have been some who were mad at the church. And among those who believe, what I find is a wish that they had started following Jesus much earlier in their lives. No regrets in being a Christian. No doing things differently, other than getting on board sooner in life.

  There is no disappointment in Him for those who believe. That’s just something to remember!

  Roger

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Jump Start # 2493

Posted on December 20, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2493

2 Peter 3:12 “Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat.”

Christmas is now just a few days away. The little ones are getting excited. It’s always a big day for them. Their little faces will light up with joy as they see all the presents around the Christmas tree. In many ways, it’s more fun for the big ones just to watch the shouts of joy and excitement from the little ones.

But as disciples of the Lord, there are things we look forward to. Our verse is the first of three immediate passages in which Peter uses the expression, “Looking forward.” Here in our verse, it’s looking forward to the day of God. The next verse, looking forward to a new heavens and earth. Then, looking for these things leads us to being righteous and holy people.

There are many things in life that a person looks forward to. Kids look forward to the end of the school year. Those in love look forward to their wedding day. Expectant mothers look forward to holding their baby. After decades of working, many look forward to retirement. I always look forward to the grandkids coming to visit.

Looking forward, anticipating, longing, wanting, wishing, hoping—those are all strung together within the heart. And, as disciples, there are things that we ought to be looking forward to.

Here are a few things that comes to my mind:

  • Sunday Worship. Gathering with God’s people. Getting to blend our voices together. Being in the presence of God. Hearing God’s word taught. Opening the Bible and being taught, challenged and moved to be a better person. Things are so different on Sundays. Our schedules are different. Things seem to move a little slower on Sunday than they do a Monday morning. We tend to do better on Sundays. Satan seems farther away on Sundays. Encouragement, hope, Heaven, those are just a few of the things that fills our hearts on Sundays. I wish every day was a Sunday!
  • Resurrection Day. I’ve done way too many funerals in my life. The heavy hand of death seems final. We know, by faith and by the Scriptures, that when Jesus comes, the dead will be resurrected. Not just a few of them. Not just the best of them. All of them. I’ve seen too many families walk away from the cemetery with tears in their eyes. The grave closes and that is it, so it appears. But a day is coming, and there will be a resurrection. The dead in Christ will rise first, is what the Thessalonians were told. That will be scary, wonderful and amazing.
  • Reunions in Heaven. There are many beloved righteous people that I miss. I long to see them again, this time in Heaven. There, we won’t have to watch the time. There, we won’t have to go anywhere else. There, we won’t be bothered by weather, problems or troubles. I miss seeing Billy. He made me pens that I still use to this day. There are two men named Dick that I miss. They were encouragers in my life. I’d like to see my mom again. It’s been a long time. I’d like to tell her about all those great grandkids that she never got to meet. Can you imagine? It brings tears to our eyes just thinking about it.

There are always some who will doubt this. How do you know we will know each other on the other side? There are passages that indicate that. The rich man knew Lazarus. He knew him by name. Otherwise, what is Heaven like, a giant concert or ballgame, with thousands of strangers? That doesn’t sound very encouraging. We like being with people we like. And, then someone has to say, “Well, what if my mom isn’t there? There’s not supposed to be any tears in Heaven and if she’s not there, I will cry?” I don’t know. Trust God. If He can make this complex universe in six days, trust that He’ll take care of that. Maybe your memory will be adjusted. Maybe the righteous will seem like your only family. Don’t worry about it. Make sure you get yourself there.

  • Seeing God’s face. That comes from a passage in Revelation 22. We’ve sung about God. We’ve studied God. We’ve told others about God. We’ve prayed to God. But, just imagine, we actually get to see Him. We get to see His face. That implies closeness. That implies relationship and fellowship. That implies love, acceptance and forgiveness. Here, we’ve seen sunrises and sunsets. We’ve seen rainbows and the birth of children. We’ve seen smiles and hugs. We’ve seen oceans and mountain tops. We’ve seen snow and rain and sunshine. We’ve seen the beauty of nature. We’ve seen unusual things. We’ve seen some things that we wish we never did. We’ve seen the ugly side of human nature. We’ve seen sin. We’ve seen temptation. We’ve seen hatred and prejudice. But one thing we haven’t fully seen, is the face of God. Someday, we will see Him. I expect no words will come out of our mouths. I expect we will just gaze upon Him. I expect we won’t believe that we are actually there.

Looking forward…there’s much for us to be looking forward to. The best is still yet to come. Hang in there. Keep marching toward Zion. Don’t let troubles and trials sidetrack you. Don’t give up. You have to finish. You have to keep the faith. Just think, what’s still to come.

Roger

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Jump Start # 2492

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2492

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

Christmas is getting close. Children are getting excited. Adults are burning the midnight candle to get everything ready. Some will be traveling. Some will be hosting. It’s a time of happiness, joy and fun. There will be presents to be opened, good food to be eaten and memories to be made. Homes are decorated. Cookies have been made. Hopefully shopping is nearly finished. The holiday season is great times, that is for most.

The holidays can also be very painful for some. It’s easy to overlook the heartache that some are going through. Suicides are higher around the holiday season than the rest of the year. And, even among the people of God, the holiday season can be a long struggle of tears and pain.

There are those who are going through their first holiday without a family member being with them. There has been a death. Now, a chair is empty. There are so many memories that the holidays just do not seem the same without this person. There is a sadness, even at this joyous season.

For others, there has been a divorce. The kids are visiting the “ex” on the holidays. Things just do not seem right, normal or fair. Holidays can be very lonely. All the movies surround family and doing things together. For some, they will be all alone during the holidays. There is no family or the family is estranged from each other. The season puts them in a bad mood. And, for those without a spiritual anchor, the holidays are an excuse to drink excessively.

Our passage connects us to one another in a congregation. There are those who are rejoicing. Don’t be jealous, rejoice with them. There are those who are weeping. Don’t ignore them. Be with them. Encourage them. Weep with them. It is very possible to have rejoicing and weeping going on at the same time. Some are happy. Some are miserable. Some have family all around them. Some are alone.

Some thoughts:

First, give thought to those who are going through their first holiday season after a death or a divorce. Drop them a card. Invite them over. Get them a gift. Let them know that they are not forgotten. This may be something that shepherds need to keep a keen eye on. There may be some folks who are hurting and could use some help, emotionally as well as spiritually.

Second, don’t add to your misery. There are things you can do to help you and there are things you can do to make yourself feel worse. Don’t isolate yourself from others. Get out to worship. You need this. You may have to force yourself to do things that you do not feel like doing, like being around others. But getting out of the house, being around others has a way of taking your mind off of your sorrow and it can actually lift your spirits.

Third, find a way to help others. If you are alone, don’t be alone. There are wonderful ways to help others who are less fortunate than you are. Helping others often helps us. Look around in your neighborhood, place of work, even within the congregation and find those you can do something for. Put your energies into serving others rather than feeling bad for yourself.

Fourth, realize that you are not really alone. God is with you. He has been with you through this whole year. Be thankful to God for what you have been able to enjoy and what the Lord has given you. Your faith will provide a strength that you didn’t even know that you have. It’s ok to laugh again. It’s ok to be with friends. Don’t feel like you must be miserable because of the circumstances.

Fifth, keep your eye open for those who are hurting. You understand more than anyone what they are going through. You know what works and what doesn’t work. You can be an example and a help for others. You might see someone sitting alone in worship. You can ask if you can join them. You can ask if they would like to go out to eat with you afterwards. Through your pain, you can help someone else. You can make the pathway easier for them.

Finally, remember the holidays pass. The wrapping paper will be thrown in the trash. The cookies will all be eaten. All the decorations will be put in boxes until next year. Children will be back to school. Adults will be back to work. Life tends to go on.

The holidays for those who are grieving, can be like a surgery. At first, it just hurts. You know in time it will be better, but there is no fast forwarding. It takes time. This time can bring you much closer to the Lord and others. Allow yourself to heal. In time, it won’t hurt as much. There are others who would love to help you, be with you and give you things. Allow them to do this. It’s good for them and it’s good for you.

We sing a song that asks, “Does Jesus care when I’ve said goodbye to the dearest on earth to me, and my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks, is it aught to Him? Does He see?” And, the chorus, answers the question. It loudly says, “O yes, He cares, I know He cares, His heart is touched with my grief. When the days are weary, the long night dreary, I know my Savior cares.” I know. I know my Savior cares!

And, so does God’s people. You’ll get though this, with the Lord’s help.

Roger

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Jump Start # 2491

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2491

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment”

It’s a very odd question, but a fair question. We usually are asked the opposite side of this question, and either side is hard to understand and harder still to explain. A person wonders why are they still here. After multiple health issues, they continue on. Why doesn’t God allow that person to die? I’ve been asked this by folks who are in their 90’s. They ask, “Why am I still here?”

Often, we deal with the other side of this question, “Why did God allow someone I love to die?” This side is asking, “Why doesn’t God take this person?” Any answer we give is pretty much a guess. Outside of certain passages we cannot try to think like God, because it is just beyond us. We see things from our perspective, not Heaven’s. We see things from our little spot in the universe and as the song goes, “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

Let me throw out a few suggestions, and, that’s all they are. I cannot say for sure. I’m not good at standing in the shoes of God. These ideas may be totally off. But here we go:

First, God has an appointed time. That’s what our verse today says. It may simply not that person’s time. We may see someone suffering and wonder why do they linger? I thought that with my mother. We even prayed that the Lord would take her. There are times when there is no quality of life. There are times when a person is in a vegetative state, or a comma. Yet, they linger. It is hard on the family. It gets to a point where one realizes that a person will never be back to their normal state again. Why? Simply put, it’s just not the right time.

Second, possibly, the continuation of someone’s life may be the patience of God hoping that person will obey the Lord and become a disciple. This concept and idea is tied into the final coming of Jesus. Peter says consider the patience of the Lord to be salvation. He also said in that setting that God doesn’t want any to perish. Maybe the nearness of death opens one’s eyes to what the Scriptures teach and even to give thought about eternity and Heaven and Hell. Once a person has passed through the doorway of death, nothing more can be done.

Third, maybe, just maybe, God is trying to teach the family who is caring for the dying patient some lessons. We tend to think less of ourselves and more about others in those settings. Maybe it’s a time for family members to come together and be one. Seeing someone so close to death often makes us wonder about our own life. What matters and what is important often gets jumbled up when we are on the run and have full health. But watching someone so close to death, has a way of making us look inward. Character, heart, faith, love—those are the things that seem to matter.

Fourth, most assuredly, we simply do not know. We want to know. We can even think that God needs to tell us. We may shout to Heaven, “Why?” But God doesn’t answer to us. He doesn’t work for us. He is God. What He does is not accountable to us. He is holy. He is always right. And, it’s in those dark, unknown times of life, often traveling through the valley of death, as Psalms 23 talks about, that we must simply trust God. We want to know, but we don’t. God has a way of working things for His good. Even out of tragedies and sorrows, God has a way of helping people and molding lives for Him. The Psalmist in that 23rd Psalms, knew that he was not alone. Even in those dark valleys God was with him. But, understand, he had been following God before the valleys. God had led him. God had cared for him. There was a long relationship of trust in the Lord. This didn’t all begin in the valley of the shadow of death. If this is where our faith begins, it will begin with darkness, doubt and fear. The shepherd had taken this one to green pastures and quiet waters. There was reasons to trust God. There was a history with God. Too many want to live as if God doesn’t exist. Then, when there is a crisis, they are crying out “Where are you, God?” He’s always been there. He’s been wanting us to follow Him, trust Him and obey Him. But those dark valleys have a way of really grabbing our attention. Now, nothing else matters. Now, no one else can help. Now, we are in real need. God is there. But, will we trust Him? Will we trust Him now, when we haven’t really trusted Him before?

Let God lead you through the Scriptures to green pastures, quiet waters and even tables with your enemies. Building a life of trust in God, allows you to see the goodness, kindness and mercy of God.

It is a mystery of life why some die young and some die old. It’s a mystery why some die quickly and others die slowly. There are things that you and I just are not in the position to understand.

There is a hymn we sing, “Hold to God’s unchanging hand…”

That always helps!

Roger

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Jump Start # 2490

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2490

2 Peter 3:5 “for when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water.”

I was preaching from this section recently, looking at what God has planned for planet earth. There is an opposite in this section. Some were claiming that Jesus wasn’t coming. Nothing has changed. Everything is the same. The Holy Spirit reminds the brethren that things have not always been the same. There was a flood which destroyed the world. Some how, that had “escaped” the notice of those who were denying the return of Jesus.

But soon after this, Peter says, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice.” Others failed to pay attention, but you are different. You will notice these things. The brethren were seeing and thinking differently than others.

There is a similar contrast in Timothy. There Paul said that some would not “endure” sound doctrine. A couple of verses later, Paul tells the young preacher, “be sober in all things, endure hardship.” They couldn’t endure, but you can. You are doing things differently than others.

These two contrasts remind us that the world is impressed with things that does not impress us. The world gets excited about things that does not excite us. And, we, we, see things that the world never does. We value things that the world never does. Character, hope, faithfulness, love, Christ—those are the things that the people of God rally around. Those are the things that we are interested in. These things catch our eyes and impress us.

It escapes their notice…how does that happen? Why is it that some see things and others do not?

First, they would have to be looking in the Bible. It’s the word of God that tells of the destruction of the earth by a flood. When folks are too busy to open the Bible, they are likely to believe anything. There is a whole movement today that actually believes that if we worked hard on the environment, that we could save the planet. It’s not going to be saved. It’s destined for destruction. God has promised that. The world is not going to be destroyed by aliens, nuclear fallout, environmental disasters, pollution or over crowding. The world will come to an end when Jesus comes. This is a spiritual issue not an environmental issue. There will be righteous people living on the earth when Jesus comes. How do you know that? The Bible says so. How do you know that we cannot change global warming and save the planet? The Bible says so.

So many wild ideas evaporate when one studies the word of God carefully.

Second, it escapes their notice because they weren’t looking. If you are looking for something, you might find it. But if you are not looking, you’ll move right on past it. When a person isn’t looking for salvation, he won’t find it. When a person isn’t looking for truth, he won’t find it. Remember, the seek and ye shall find passages? They found, because they were seeking.

Third, it escapes their notice because with many they have made their minds up before they even began to consider evidence or truth. They already knew, so they thought. They didn’t have to look. For Peter, those people already knew that Jesus wasn’t coming. There was no proof for that claim. They had no prophecy about that. There was no evidence pointing to that. And, when a person has their mind made up, they don’t want to be confused with facts and truth. “I already know” allows ignorance, falsehood and imagination to steer the car down the pathway of life. How many patients have stayed away from the doctor, because “they knew” nothing was wrong. When they got so ill that they had to go, they found out they were wrong.

Fourth, it escapes their notice because consequences and commitment comes with truth. As Peter would later say in this section, since these things are to be this way, what sort of people ought you to be. The coming of Jesus wasn’t something you learned in a textbook and wrote a paper on. It’s life changing. Jesus is coming. That means we will have to stand before God. That means this world will not continue on. That means all of this is coming to an end. Truth always carries consequences and commitment. It’s easier to deny these truths, than have to change our ways. If Jesus is not coming, ever, then maybe life will just continue on. Maybe we won’t be judged. Maybe this is it. Maybe the guy with the most stuff wins. But if Jesus is coming, all of this changes. It is a game changer if Jesus is coming.

It escaped their notice. It shouldn’t have. They ought to have seen what other saw. There wasn’t a secret that only a few knew. There wasn’t some truth locked away and no one had the key. The message of Jesus has been preached from the hilltops, to homes, to hearts everywhere. It escaped their notice simple because they weren’t paying attention.

This is a reminder to us, that God’s truth doesn’t escape our notice. Open your eyes. Look within the Word of God. Do not be unwise, but understand the will of God.

Roger